Review: DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone

DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone

iPhone Hardware Review
Manufacturer: Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO)
Price: $49.99
DLO.com

Having a nice set of speakers to go along with your iPhone or iPod Touch is something which can be a bit challenging. This is because, usually, the most high-quality sound experience will come from the more bulky and expensive speakers, while the true portable speakers may be cheaper, but may also carry a lesser quality sound. DLO is going for the happy medium, and has succeeded with the Portable Speakers for iPhone.

These are extremely portable speakers; that has to be said right from the start. They are very compact and the design makes them look quite stylish on any desk, at the beach, etc.

The speakers are made into a shape which allows them to fit into the base unit. So when it is all out and set, you have a base unit to sit your iPhone in, and two speakers to the left and right of it. When you are all done you simply hook each of the speakers onto the sides of the base, and you end up with something which looks like an egg, that you can throw in your bag and take anywhere.

The only downside to this design is that the iPhone cradle comes separately, making you pack it elsewhere.  The same with the power plug if you need it.  That has to be something which you can expect though due to the portability of them.

Setting up the DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone is extremely easy. All you have to do, as stated, is pull them apart, sit your iPhone in, hook it into the headphone jack and away you go. You have the option of running it via a power plug or with 4 AAA batteries. Both options work extremely nicely.

For those looking to use this set-up in multiple ways, the option is there as well. You can easily rig it so that the power cord sits plugged into your iPhone while it is in the cradle. This allows the speakers to turn your iPhone into an alarm clock, speakerphone, etc.

The only other issue with the design is the fact that the speaker wires can get quite long, and in the way many times if you want to set them up on a desk. This makes things look a bit cluttered.  One recommendation for a possible revision would be to make the wires retractable into either the base unit or the speakers themselves.

One positive to this though is that the length of the wires allows you to spread the speakers out, making for some nice separation of stereo sound.

Speaking of the sound, the sound quality from the DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone is top notch considering the price quality. You will not be blown away, but the sound does come across very clearly and it gets pretty loud.

The small size of these speakers does not represent the sound to say the least. As soon as you crank up the speakers you will be able to clearly hear the rich sound that comes out of them. Indoors, or on the beach, these will pump out some nice clear sound, the amplifier built into the base-unit makes it even better. The only issue is that the bass is a bit lacking, but for those who do not want their music thumping, this won’t matter much.

The amplifier is also nice because it is electromagnetically shielded, meaning you want get any of that annoying noise from the cellular radio of the iPhone.

DLO has put out a nice portable speaker package here, and for the price point they have it at, we could not be happier with them. The DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone are priced to sell at $49.99. If you are someone who travels a lot with your iPhone, or just wants a nice small set-up for your office or room, these are a great little package.

Final Score: 8.5 dbTechno Recommended!

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